Color Inspiration & Breaking the Rules

September 04, 2016

Ahhhh, fall on the east coast – it is definitely my most favorite season! The temps are dropping (thank goodness!), I get to break out the boots and sweaters, and the leaves on the trees start to change color - shades of gold, red, orange, and brown. We tend to wear all these darker jewel tones that match the colors of the season.

So when I chose the new gemstones for our new fall collection, I realized that they didn’t quite fit the typical fall colors. I started to second-guess myself……maybe I should re-think this…..did the inspiration fairies steer me in the wrong direction this time?

But then I stopped myself, took a breath, and let the craziness in my head settle! The thing is, when inspiration strikes, it seems to hit me like a bolt of lightning. I’ve learned not to ask why, but to just let the ideas flow. You see, creativity doesn’t know seasons, or fashion rules……it just strikes. And those moments of inspiration can feel like divine intervention.

My downfall is that I’ve been a rule-follower my entire life. In the past, if the seasoned business gals said it should be done a certain way, then I followed their plan….. industry experts said you must follow the established rules or your ideas won’t work……OK, sign me up. But that’s not what my intuition was telling me now….

"Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream no one can see but you." ~Unknown

So I decided to break the rules! And you know what? It feels very authentic to step outside the traditional boundaries and go with what feels right for me. Does it always work out? Are all my “inspirational lightning strikes” great ideas? No, absolutely not. There are many times that a design is just not popular, an idea doesn’t translate well from my head to the paper, or I throw out a bit of inspiration and just hear crickets. In that case, I simply switch direction, chalk it up to experience, and try something else – a great lesson not only for business, but for life too!

I’ve learned to let my creativity shine in a way that is unique to me, instead of trying to make the “shoulds” and “musts” guide my choices. So in honor of breaking the rules, here’s a little behind-the-scenes peek at the new gemstones that will be making their way into the shop very soon…..